Committee debates county TST sidewalk projects; Dinghy business objects to alignment near front door

The Facilities Committee reviewed two Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax (TST) projects: an alignment near the Windjammer and the Dinghy restaurant, and a phased Palm Boulevard sidewalk proposal that opponents call a "sidewalk to nowhere."

Staff explained the county TST process: municipalities request projects, the county ranks them and — years later — engineers prepare construction plans as funding allows. For the Windjammer/Dinghy corridor, staff said the designer worked to offset lost adjacent city parking by adding perpendicular spaces in the right‑of‑way; nonetheless, staff reported the Dinghy remained "less than thrilled," especially about trees slated for removal (palm trees and one oak).

On Palm Boulevard, committee members acknowledged public concern about incremental funding cycles that require two‑block phases. Members recommended briefing full council with a multi‑phase plan (for example, showing how the current second‑to‑fourth phase links to later phases to reach 10th) to better communicate long‑term intent and to reduce the "sidewalk to nowhere" perception.

Why it matters: the projects aim to improve pedestrian safety where people currently walk in the roadway, but business impacts (parking loss) and property impacts (tree and vegetation removal, impacts to private plantings in the right‑of‑way) have generated public emails and pushback. Committee members asked staff to request an updated list of county‑queued projects and to bring both TST projects to full council for discussion and public education.

Next steps: staff will ask the county whether the current phase can be adjusted (for example, extend to fourth rather than second) and will prepare council briefing materials that present the multi‑phase sidewalk plan and anticipated maintenance/ownership implications.